Should I buy a tank pressure checker?

[Pongo1998]

How many people have their own pressure tank checker? A couple of times I have had short fills and am considering
buying my own pressure tank checker. Does everyone check their tanks when getting filled? This has only happened
when I am away from home diving in other places. I did a search but didn't find an answer to this question.

 

[Steve_C]

I have one. I always check my fills but I use their guages. I find it useful at home once in a while to check a tank that may have been standing around for a while or is partially used. A convenience more than a necessity. Saves having to use my spg for that.

 

[djtimmy77]

I just picked one up for convenience. I check my fills when I analyze the mix at the shop....but it has occurred on rare occasion that a valve gets bumped open just a tiny bit and then you end up with a way short fill. It will be nice to be able to double check at home without using a regulator.

 

[claymore]

I always check my tanks when I pick them up or fill them. I also have a pressure gauge to check tanks before I take them diving in case there has been a leak or burst disk blown. I have whole line of tanks and some times I can not remember if a tank is full or not so a pressure gauge is easier than bringing a whole reg set out to check tanks.
I do not worry to much about valves getting rolled open when traveling because I have DIN regs so a metal DIN plug goes in the tank valve to seal it. they have saved me at least one tank of gas.

 

[rhwestfall]

convenience... prefer it much more than dealing with the "spider web" that runs the risk of breaking something...

 

[scuberd]

depends on how many tanks you have to check. We check 100+ every day and it is essential, but if you have 2 tanks that you only use once in a while then just use your regulator. Pressure checkers are uni-taskers and not that cheap so think about how often you will actually be using it and decide if it is worth it to you.

 

[eelnoraa]

they are not expansive, I don't see why not.

 

[Bob DBF]

I have my original '63 pressure gauge, then there was no SPG on the reg, however it maxed out at 3000#. Recently I acquired another in a pile of vintage gear, the gauge maxed at 4000# but was shot, so I replaced the gauge which was cheap 'cause it is for surface use only.

It's handy but not necessary. The gauge I put on my transfer whip has turned out more useful, if I had to choose.


Bob
---------------
I may be old, but I'm not dead yet.

 

[Scared Silly]

Where I find having one is for traveling and getting nitrox fills. Bonaire is a great example. We brought gauge, O2, and CO monitor. Each morning we would line up 6-9 cylinders for the day and go into production mode. Mean time other guests were fumbling around getting this or that set up from the shop equipment to check while other guests waited around.

Another time in Utila they delivered nitrox cylinders to the boat but then said we could not use them cause they did not have a pressure gauge or O2 monitor. No problem I had mine, problem solved.

 

[drbill]

Back in the daze before we had SPGs a gauge like this was pretty much mandatory. Today I just use my SPG to check... it is extremely accurate. Your mileage may vary.